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Tilapia explosion at Silver Springs State Park

Tilapia explosion at Silver Springs State Park

Tilapia explosion at Silver Springs State Park

The Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute (FSI) has found an alarming invasion of Blue tilapia that has replaced the native fish population in Silver Springs State Park based on a recent survey.

In 2019, Blue tilapia made up 25% of the fish biomass in Silver Springs but as of July this year numbers jumped to 86%.

According to Dr. Knight, “Native fish species are only at 41% of their population sizes prior to the Rodman/Kirkpatrick Dam’s completion in 1968, when populations collapsed.”

2021 study published in Science magazine found that biodiversity of over 50% of the world’s rivers has been seriously impacted by dams and the introduction of non-native fish species.

Currently, the St. Johns River Water Management District is collecting feedback from local community members and stakeholders regarding the Kirkpatrick Dam and Rodman Reservoir, with a focus on interests surrounding the dam’s environmental and economic impact. The form will be open until end of day Oct. 22.

Click this link to open the survey: https://floridaswater.formstack.com/forms/rodman

References:

Source: UF/IFAS Pest Alert

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